1 week in 7 days
by TheSillyMe
Summary: Based on the original " 1 semana em 7 dias" / Everyday I'd get there, have a sit by his side, let him realize i was there and, without any word, get up and walk away. / I GOT THE PERMISSION FROM THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR FOR IT.
1. Chapter 1

**The original fanfic is called " 1 Semana em 7 dias" .This was made by ****ikayra**** and the language is originally Portuguese. Any comment will be translated and sent to her so she can know your opinion about her fanfic. The comments in the end are hers and are on the original chapter too. If you want to visit her profile, here It is: **http:/ . net/ u/1562378/ ikaira

**One Week in Seven days**

**By: ikaira **

**_Prologue _**

Everyday I'd get there, have a sit by his side, let him realize i was there and, without any word, get up and walk away.

I did that, faithfully, for one year…

It's painful to see him like that and I couldn't help but feel guilty. Even though everybody said it was not, I knew it was all my fault. If I hadn't been so desperate, dumb…

Lee was on the ground, I had no time to think. Gai would never get there in time,and Neji was too busy. I had to protect him, even if I had to give my own life for that.

But I didn't expect my act of giving my life for Lee's would make Neji give his own for mine. He was in the darkness, and yelling his name didn't work to bring him back.

The pain I felt when I looked at Neji was not for seeing him like that, it was because I knew it was my fault.

**Chapter 1: First Day**

** "I'd give my life for you to have yours back. Once i can't,let me live my life for you and to you" **

_*Sunday_

_"Lee!" – i yelled the name of my friend, but he was unawake on the earthy ground. And we were so close to our village._

_I was hurrying in my own fight and finished fast to run in his direction and finished the fight he started, taking the life of his – which was also ours – enemy._

_I forgot I was on combat and got all my concentration to try to stop the flood of blood coming from my friend. Lee was almost out of breath and I was shaving too much to know what I was doing._

_ **XXXXX**_

I woke up sweaty and terrified. It was not the first time I had my heart running like that with those images in my mind about that horrible mission. The nightmare with the moments of that day came every night. There was no night with good sleep in this passed one year.

I got up from bed. Outside, one more day was coming. The sun was shyly bright behind the mountains around Konoha and, one more time, I watched the event… like I've done for so long.

The sore muscles in my body no longer bothered me. They were part of me already,as if they were oxygen or my muscles themselves.

Nights with no sleep gave me unpleasant consequences, but they were nothing comparing to the pain a had inside. The pain of guilt.

The warm water falling over my body made my flesh relax, but it didn't make my heart looser.

Today I'd see him again.

I'd sit by his side, mute, and let his image judge me as it wanted. And I deserved that it –his image- would do the way it thought was the worse and more painful.

Although everything seemed to be dark, Konoha never look cloudy and i held that with all my strength to don't fall in the darkness like I made Neji fall. It wasn't for me that I was holding myself up, it wasn't for me that I smiled, it wasn't for me that I kept on getting up every morning . I insisted to fight against the obvious for him, I kept my life alive to do not lose his.

8:00 am . I tried to be there always exactly on time. Neji had never liked anyone to be late. The house was clean and peaceful as usual. No one would stop me to ask who or what I would do there, they already knew.

I was there in that morning to – like all the mornings before – visit the only person who seemed not to want to be visited

I went through those large corridors saying hello to the ones I saw in the way. There were just a few employees. Neji had never liked many people around. It was expected that his house had just as many employees as necessary.

As I arrived to the big door to the garden, my heart seemed it'd stop. I knew exactly what was in the other side of the door, but I couldn't help. Every day was like the first day.

I got closer to where he was and walked through the green grass, always looking into his eyes. Neji was perfectly sitting on a chair, with a book in hands. The sun light made his skin seem to be shining. I arrived where he was and took a sit a bit distant from him, always in silence.

I gazed his face and I couldn't find anything to read how he was feeling today. Nothing but his serious expression, as usual. And as if it was the fist time it happened, I wanted to cry.

I took a deep breath and swallowed my weakness, I had no right to cry. He was the one who had reasons to want to disappear from this world.

My eyes went out his face and stopped on the closed book in his hands. My heart tried to stop beating again. Neji always loved to read, and now… I took another deep breath, trying one more time to swallow the flood of emotions in me.

And every thing was hurting like in the fist day.

I looked to the direction Neji's face was. There was a beautiful tree there, just some steps from us. The breeze coming made the leaves shake a bit, bringing their amazing smell to us. If I deserved I could enjoy all that peace. But the part that was mine, I gave to Neji with open heart.

We stayed there, in silence ,stuck in the same position, waiting the time to pass. I always stayed there for one entire hour doing nothing that I thought would disturb him. He was concentrated in the air. There were times I thought Neji had became a rock. He did not move.

During the many moments we shared like this, my mind insisted on bringing back those horrible images I always carried with me. It was cold and I shivered with those memories, trying to take them out of my brain. I closed my eyes with anger, but it made the images come even harder.

With a long sigh, I opened my eyes and looked at Neji. He was still the same, but his eyes were closed. He was thinking.

I was paying attention only on Neji, the rest didn't matter. I'd give everything to read his mind, to know his thoughts. Maybe he was having sad thoughts, maybe he was cursing me, I didn't care. I just wanted to know.

I couldn't stand that I didn't hear his voice once for one year. It should be part of my sentence. Lee had told me that when he came to visit, Neji said he was okay. And when Lee asked, I'd just say: "_Neji said he is okay_." That was a disgusting lie. Not the fact that Neji had never said anything to me, but the fact that Neji could be okay. Not the Neji I knew. Not the Neji I _know_.

Anyway, even telling lies, he still spoke to Lee, and even to Gai. In that way,I could believe I was the only one he didn't talk to. The only one he wasn't giving his voice to. That hurts. That hurts even more than the pain of the guilt i carry all time.

There were times I wanted to scream, take Neji out of there with me to a place everything would be different, where I would not be so stupid, where Neji would fight like he loved to and where he would talk to me. A place where I would make things differently, where Neji would let me take care of him as he once did of me. I had so many things to say, so many things to apologize for…

I moved my head to wake up from my thoughts. It was time to go and pretend everything was fine.

Breathing slowly, i got up to get out of there. I looked at him one last time and to the book in his hands.I turned around to leave,but I couldn't.

" Are you coming tomorrow? " - his voice made me stop. It was exactly as I could remember: strong and seemed to touch my soul.

My heart, that was trying to stop when I arrived, probably stopped now, just like my breathing. I turned around to see him.I was nervous, he was still with his eyes closed. I looked for my voice to answer but I couldn't find it. His voice was still in my ears.

" Come. " he, without any answer from me, said.

I moved my head in affirmation, as if he could see it. I felt dumb. He got up, his face in my direction and then he went inside his house, leaving me alone.

Neji couldn't see anymore. It was my fault. But his gaze – even if it seemed to look at nowhere – still had the same effect of years ago. It still could see through me and read me as usual.

I don't know why he decided to talk to me just now. After one year, maybe this week would be different. And of course I would come back tomorrow.

I'd never stop coming.


	2. Chapter 2

******_Chapter 2: second day_**

**_Bird with broken wings can't fly. Bird with no wish to fly,break your wings._**

_* Monday_

_Gai was distant. Yelling his name wouldn't work, his fight was not easy at all. Neji was the closest one, but fighting against ,any clones couldn't help me._

_I ripped my sleeve and tried to stop the bleeding. With that chaos I was desperate and didn't see the enemy coming._

_" Tenten!" – I heard Neji calling me in panic._

_Worried, i turned around already attacking that anything that made Neji scream my name. I left Lee and, without second thoughts threw a weapon that got my enemy's head with strength. When everything stopped, my world seemed to be sucked to a horrible place._

_His body was already over mine._

**XXXXX**

I was on my bed and didn't move my body even an inch. One more time, those nightmares woke me up.

This time it was still night, maybe I should watch the moon go away and wait for the sun to show up.

Some minutes later my eyes were still wide open. My mind started bringing back those thoughts, that became good and bad memories, until it stops on the most recent and the only one I liked: the memory of Neji talking to me again.

His stuck gaze and his cold and melodic voice were in my mind as if Neji himself was there repeating his words: - "_Come._"

Still in bed, looking at my roof, i tried to understand him and also get to sleep again.

Neji spent one year without talking to me, not even one word. In the first days, I arrived in his house, said hello and tried to make a dialogue. But after one month of failing tries, I got mute like him.

Even with him ignoring my presence, there was not even one day when I didn't go there to see him. I needed to see him…always.

I don't know why he broke the silence, but I was expecting and had a lot of hope that that was a sign of forgiveness. Neji had never said anything to accuse me about that day, but his silence was enough to make me know I was the one to blame. That's why I created hope when he talked to me again.

When Neji left team Gai, the team was over. I didn't get any mission, I was stuck because of my fear and guilt. I went to the Hokage and asked to go out the ninja corporation myself.

I couldn't fight anymore, not when I knew that because of me Neji couldn't as well. My hands had never taken a weapon again and my eyes never focused on an aim. I took Neji's vision away and, in a masochistic move, I've forbidden myself to see.

Lee never stopped believing, just like Gai, in me and neither in Neji. He was now training a group of Gennin, under the constant look of Gai

The memories of the chaos I'd lived in this last year made me fall asleep. The last I could remember was the sound of Neji's voice telling me: _"- Come_."

**XXXXX**

The sun woke me up and i got out of bed ready to start my ritual of every day. The not so bad night I had was not enough to set me free from the sore in my muscles or from the pain in my heart that came to me every morning.

I wasn't surprised by the sun shining brightly outside,as usual. I held myself in this energy and made my way to Neji's house,as I've done in this last one year. And, as usual, the closer I got to his house, the less my heart seemed to beat.

It didn't take to long for me to get there, facing the big door to his garden. Usually, I'd have a sit by his side would let our silence kill me slowly. But it was not what I did, actually I did nothing.

I didn't know if I should start trying a conversation or if I should just wait for the miracle again.

I simply walked 'till where he was, in silence. I stopped many times during the way, it seemed to help me. Or maybe those were just stops and nothing more.

" You're late." – it was the first sentence i heard as soon as i put one foot in his space. I don't know since when he knew I was there.

" Good morning, Neji. How are you? " – the smile of my friendly try that was in my face went away in the moment I realized how stupid was my question.

Of course he was not okay. And I, better than anyone else, should know that. It was my fault.

" I'm sorry. " – was the most I could say, trying to make my stupidity look smaller.

" I'm fine. Come on, Tenten, you can't grow taller anymore. Have a sit." – even with the blindness, Neji seemed to see everything around him perfectly.

With my head down, with no courage to look at him, I was still trying to get used to his voice. My legs shivered when I heard him saying my name.

" I'm fine like this." – i tried but i couldn't get my voice loud. My body was shivering.

" I may be blind but I'm not dumb, Tenten. I know by your voice that your are not okay at all. I bet you are shivering." – I couldn't help a surprised exclamation. My eyes got wide open and I stared at his face, visibly fearful with the truth.

Neji, as I expected, was looking ahead. His face was always in this direction.

After his words, with an obedience i didn't know i had, i took a sit by his side. My eyes couldn't get away his face for even one second. If I was afraid of looking at him before, now I was afraid of not doing it.

I said nothing, waiting for him to continue what he started. Waiting for him to finish the words I needed to hear… words that didn't come.

" I am trying, Neji. But your behavior changed all of a sudden, and I had fantasized about this for so long that now I don't know what to do or what to say."

" If you prefer, I can stop speaking again."

" No! " i said urgently. He seemed to have fun with my lack of calm. His face held a funny expression for one moment, but it was gone as fast as it came. His spirit was dark.

" I don't like it, Tenten. " – I looked at him full of doubts. – "I lost the vision and you're blind?" – the guilt burned again around all my body.

Tears came to my eyes, and I truly wanted to take my eyes off and give them to him.

" I'm sorry. Please, Neji, forgive me." – pronounce his name looked like a crime. It came cutting my throat, letting a bitter taste in my tongue. But I had to say it.

" Stop saying you're sorry, Tenten! Back off. You're not the victim in here." - i stopped breathing and realized Neji got his eyes closed, his hands too. He seemed frustrated, impatient.

More tears in my eyes and my mouth dried. His voice sounded unfair, but the truth in it was what I was scared of.

" It's not what I mean, Neji. I am just trying… " - I couldn't finish. My voice broke and I stopped before my tears took the control.

He could had made me feel everything at once the day he opened his eyes and his world, which was also mine, was dark.

Neji got up, taking his gaze with him. I stared at his perfectly straight posture, waiting for his next move. With a heavy sigh, he looked aside.

.

" When i left Team Gai, i left a Weapon Mistress. And instead of being visited by her, I've been visited by a scared and weak little girl. I thought I'd push you away with my silence, I thought I'd set you free to live your life and become what you promised yourself you'd become: a ninja as strong as the legendary Tsunade." – as he spoke, my mind pulled those old memories that were behind the recent and unpleasant ones. The ones that were hurting me.

The person he talked to seemed to be sleeping inside of me and his words woke her up, but she didn't wake up to complain and fight for her space. Neji's words woke her up and she was hurt, also judging me guilty.

" But you didn't Tenten. You got stuck on me, dying slowly, lost in the darkness that was supposed to be only mine. If I'm here with you now, it's not because I like this someone you became, but because I want to bring the woman you used to be back." – the control I tried to have around Neji was slowly leaving, and more than ever I felt like Neji described: a scared and weak little girl.

" I'm thankful for being blind, so I can't see your self destruction. But unfortunately I can feel you, Tenten. And I'll rescue you from this one you became if it means you'll wake up."

My throat got cramped immediately and all my functions stopped at the same time. For the first time, Neji's face was straight in my direction and, for the first time, eye to eye I could see how bad it was not having Neji reading my soul as a simple book. The injuries of Neji's blindness were worse than I thought.

**To be** **continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 : Third day **

_* Tuesday _

_"Gai ran in our direction screaming Neji's name, but it was too late. __I had already done that. My eyes couldn't believe in what i was seeing. _

_' Neji! No...' – my voice failed when i tried to call for him._

_My heart stopped when I realized what I've had done. Immediately I threw the weapon in my hands to anywhere far from me. _

**_' _**_You stupid. Do I have to do everything by myself here?' – a bitter smile on his face – 'It's fine now,Tenten.'_

_'- Neji! Neji! __Neji...' – he couldn't hear me anymore. His unawake body was over mine already." _

They came back worse than ever. The day was coming and I was sitting in my bed, breathing hard and all sweat. My hands were shivering while I passed them through my face and hair, trying to erase the images of the last nightmare. The responsible for my panic.

Damn mission. If i could go back in time...

One more time I tried to relax with a warm shower, letting the water take those terrible sensations away from me. But unlike the times before… the water was freezing. The shivering I had in my hands were now through my entire body. I squeezed the towel hard, trying to calm myself down while I walked to my room.

I decided: today I wans't going to see Neji.

_" – A scared and weak little girl."_

Everything seemed to look at me and repeat what Neji said: _scared and weak little girl, scared and weak little girl, scared and weak little girl…_

Blocking my ears didn't work. His words were in my mind. The freezing shower made my skin cold and my finger were almost purple because I spent too much time under the water.

I was on the floor, sitting and hugging my knees, starring to the many weapons on my bed telling me: _scared and weak little girl… scared and weak little girl…_

I haven't touched them for so long. I couldn't stand even looking at them. But when I realized, I was already out of the bathroom, wearing just the towel and putting all the weapons I found there.

Now, it was not just my skin that was cold, my inner self was cold too. I could feel the air coming through my nostrils until my lungs.

With urge and anger for my cowardice, I got up and threw all of them on the floor. Like an animal in a cage, desperate to run away, I attacked the weapons laying in the floor of my small room. My harshness gave a cut in my hand, my sheet was slowly turning red by my blood.

I looked at my hand, I was mad and breathing tiredly, watching my blood leaving my body. I smiled, a strange smile. How did I get here? What have i done to myself? Neji was right, i was fading.

I took the sheet and put tight around my hand to stop the bleeding. I went to the bathroom and the sheet follwed me, crawling through the ground and bringing some weapons with it, making a nose that seemed to yell at me how ridiculous I was.

The water became reddish in touch with my blood and also some tears. My medical abilities were not good as Ino's or Sakura's, but they were enough to keep me away from the hospital, to save me from unnecessary explanations.

I went back to my room and looked at my mess. I've had been really angry. Now, calmer , I could see it clearly. I felt my hair falling over my shoulders, it was still wet. I took a long breath and looked for a towel to dry my hair and got dressed.

If Neji saw me now, he would certainly give me a lecture about how ashamed I should be. Stupid idea. He wouldn't see me now and neither later, because I took Neji's vision away. I made a mistake, a crime, taking the Hyuuga genius out of work. I screwed Neji's life. I screwed my own life.

Anxious, i started putting all my weapons in a bag and took some scrolls too. I'm not going to see Neji today, but I'm going to see how deep I am in this shaft.

I'm going to a place I forced myself to forget.

**_XXXXX_**

The training field was totally different from what i had in my memories. The grass was high and it was dirty and dark. It looked like an evil forest.

It was here where I confirmed my sensei was nuts and that his copy, aka Lee, was an extreme hard worker. It's was also here where I showed how marvelous I was with weapons; and it was right here where I saw with my own eyes the geniality of Hyuuga Neji, The Hyuuga Genius.

I remember perfectly the first time i had the chance of seeing byakugan. That was amazing. I spent some time imagining if someone incredible like that could be really real.

This same training field also reveled me how Neji could be stupid with all his thing with _'pre-destination'_ and how noble he was for admitting his mistake. I couldn't help but smile with those memories.

In his old belief of pre-destination, I bet he never thought of himself blind and with a loser ex-teammate. I think the old Neji would freak out.

It was ironic that, even with his tireless talk about "_you can't change your destine_" , he changed his own every day, working harder to overcome any member of the Head Family.

I ran my eyes around the place. Except for the high grass, it was exactly the same. I took a deep breath, trying to force myself to keep calm. I needed to be bold to control my weapons again. I cleaned the targets up and got a place in front of them.

I closed my eyes, trying to sip the energy from the forest I had around me. I went to the bag I brought and held a kunai. My hands were sweating because of my nerves, while many different emotions ran here and there thought my entire body. I never thought that, from anyone in this planet, I would be so in panic just by holding a weapon.

I opened my eyes and the targets seemed to be dancing in front of me. I tried to concentrate, but they were still moving. It was like they wanted to attack me, they were laughing at me, they were laughing because I was scared. I held the kunai tighter in my hand and closed my eyes again.

When I opened my eyes again, I threw the kunai with a mix of anger and fear. The weapon went cutting the high grass and got stuck in a tree, making some birds fly away. It was expected that I'd miss the target. My failing was not any news.

The anger came hard and got the control of my body and soul. I wasn't scared, all I felt was anger. My hands went to the weapons in my bag and I threw them into random spots in the forest. I did the same with the scrolls, as if it was the only way I could get my freedom. When I had nothing else to throw away, I fell on my knees, tired and desperate.

I had sweat in my forehead and tears all over my face.

I had never felt so empty before. I wanted to run ahead to wherever Neji was, I missed his presence. Even if it was to criticize me, to tell me how pathetic I was. At least I wouldn't be so afraid if Neji was there with me.

Once again, Neji was right: "_scared and weak little girl." _

**To be Continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Fourth day**

** " A loser is nothing more than a failed try of a winner.**

** It's easier like this, isn't it? "**

_* Wednesday_

_Everything passed fast and I didn't know what to do. In what seemed to be seconds, Gai held Lee in his arms and was screaming his name. Like a zombie, I was dizzy and terrified staring at Neji's unmoving body._

_"Come on,Tenten! We have to get out of here! "– I heard Neji moan and that made me wake up for the words Gai was saying._

_There were too many enemy clones and Gai's kage bushins wouldn't last more than just some more minutes. As if I was a machine on the automatic mode, I grabbed Neji and followed Gai immediately._

_I don't know where my strength came from nor how I could carry Neji until the big doors of Konoha. My body was hurting,I was sore and my heart was desperate foe seeing Neji the way he was. I saw some ninjas coming closer to us and Gai explain them the situation. _

_ "Gai," - I called weakly, but he heard and looked at me. – "Take care of Neji." – I fell unconscious. _

The sun was already up in his place and, one more time, my constant nightmare came to wake me usual, I was breathing heavily and the feeling of guilt was suffocating me.

Today, the pain in my muscles were worse. Even my eyelashes seemed to feel it. I think I got in the bottom of the well. I wonder how long I will stand my miserable situation.

Maybe I should finish this. Make all of this go away. Save myself and everyone else from watching me falling slowly into the endless darkness. Suddenly, suicide looked like a good idea for me.

_"… pushing you away from me would set you free…_" My lips turned into a bitter smile with the memory of what Neji had said. I think he does not have to set me free from anything, actually I think I am the one who is squeezing him.

What would he say about my suicide thoughts? He would probably call me stupid and tell me to do whatever I wanted.

I guess I should have stayed in bed today. It seems like the hole in my chest became bigger and it's sucking me into a so huge emptiness, that gets me to scorn my own existence. It's so ridiculous and absurd.

Honestly, I'm tired of pretending. Pretending to be conformed while I'm not; pretending to be strong while I'm not; pretending to have a life I do not.

I'm going to see Neji now, face his mute judgment once again and let his lack of vision take my own. And, differently from the other times, the melancholy I always carried around was explicit and anyone could see it just by looking at me.

His house was as it has always been: as him. Now I realized… everything is so Neji. From the furniture to the smell in any inch of the place.

He was there in the same chair, in the same position, his head was facing ahead and he had a closed book in hands. One day without seeing him and I feel how much I need it, how much I need to see him. It's weird to think that, maybe, I need him more than I think he needs me.

In silence, i got closer to the chair and had a sit by his side, as usual. I was quiet but my head was boiling with many different thoughts driving to many different directions: first to say something, but then to stay quiet. Later, to run away, but then to stay there…

" You didn't come yesterday. " – his voice came inside my ears, breaking all of my tries of thoughts.

I closed my eyes and took a deep and long breath. I thought it was impossible for a voice to have a taste, but Neji's had. His voice had a sweet taste.

I let his voice travel in my mind for a moment. All the bad feelings I had, seemed to disappear facing the comfort I felt when I heard his voice.

" I had to try one thing. " – I replied with a tired sigh.

" Try?" – he asked with no change in his expression.

" Yeah, try. Yesterday I didn't come because I went to practice, I mean, try to." – I answered simply.

" And…?" – he rested the book aside and moved his feet just a little bit in my direction . That meant I had his total attention.

" I'm a loser, a fail… and I'll never be able to touch even one kunai itself." – my eyes went down looking at the ground and Neji seemed to become tense.

" Don't be such a fool." – his fast reply scared me. – "You are not and you had never been a loser. I don't make mistakes, Tenten. I don't pick losers to be by my side."

I didn't know what to say. I felt dumb. My fingers were dancing nervously in my legs and I lost my voice as I always did when I went to see Neji.

I stared at him for a while.

" I... think i missed you, Neji."– i said more to myself than to him.

" Im' sure you did." – he said with a deep and serious tune.

" Thank you."

The place was fulfilled by silence, until Neji called my name and i looked at him. He seemed to be absolutely sure about what he'd tell me, he held the book in hands again, catching all my attention.

" We are going to practice tomorrow." – my eyes were wide open and the images of my last try popped in my mind.

He seemed to believe in my potential, but his idea was ridiculous. Did he listen to me when I said I failed?

" It won't be possible, Neji." – I got up harshly. – "Are you stupid? Don't you understand I can't?"

Neji got up too, following my action, and still facing straight ahead, he turned his head in my direction, not giving a thing to my lack of calm and control.

" If you're still that petulant to go against my words and call me stupid, you can control a simple kunai, Tenten." – in his face there was a smile I couldn't recognize. A mix of derision and victory.

It seems like he was daring me. He knew that the old me would accept, but _this_ me had no intention to do that.

" Do not count on me, Neji." – his face left mine and he started walking away from there.

" Okay then. You know where I'll be, see you tomorrow. " – the confidence he had in his voice made my throat squeeze itself and I couldn't say anything to complain.

I had no idea about Neji's intentions. I hadn't heard about him training after the accident. Even if he was the Hyuuga prodigy, he had limitations…

Neji was blind.

**To be Continued..**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Fifth day**

_* Thursday _

_" I opened my eyes with difficulty, but the light around made me close them again. I took a slow breath and the smell of medicine invaded my lungs. I couldn't understand, I just forced my eyes to stay open, getting used to the exaggerate lights._

_I didn't recognize the place at first. I tried to get up but my eyes were still hurting I couldn't see properly and my arm was stuck in something. I looked to my right and saw the needle connected in my vein. I was in a hospital._

_As a strong punch in my face, the memories started running in my mind. __The fight, Lee's wounds, Gai screaming my name and..._

_' Neji!' – i took the needle harshly from my arm. I needed to see him,I had to._

This day was particularly cold. It was probably the fear tattooed inside of me, but I preferred to believe that it was just the weather.

I had a bad night, just like the others before. The sun was starting to go up, but my muscles were paralyzed. I was still in bed and made a secure cocoon with my sheets and had no intention of getting out of that. Getting out of my bed today meant facing Neji and, much more than that, meant facing myself again.

No matter how much I said no, how much I had said no… all the rest yelled YES! It wasn't new for me that seeing Neji was necessary to keep me up, but I'm not sure if training with him was a good idea.

Yes or no… I said yes. The thought of training again could be scary, but the thought of not seeing Neji was even more. That made me get up and filled me with courage to face those weapons, the training field and my obvious fail.

Differently from the last time I came here, the training field was back to his old form. Free from the high grass and that dark appearance.

My old place of refuge was more beautiful and able to bring me back some cleaner memories in a way that didn't hurt, in a way that made me believe the Weapons Mistress may still be alive here inside.

" It's better, isn't it?" – i was drowning in my own thoughts that didn't realized it was missing Neji there.

I turned around to look at him and he was calm, sitting under one of the many trees in there.

" Well, I prefer this way. I didn't like when I came and saw all that high grass." – the end of his sentence came with a sarcastic laugh.

" It wasn't funny,Neji." – and I wasn't at all. It was amazing the way he could put irony in this situation. As if he could had actually seen the grass there. – "Who did this?"

" What do you mean with 'who did this?' "– he got up and came in my direction.

One of the things the blindness had never ruined was Neji's sense of direction. Paying attention to any sound around he knew exactly where each person was.

"I did!" – he said playing funny.

" You?" - I didn't want to be rude or anything, but I guess I'm not the only one who would have this reaction.

" I lost the vision, Tenten, not my arms." – his voice was strong, as if he had said the obvious.

I stayed in silence, not knowing what to say next. I wasn't used to Neji's condition as he seemed to be. I've always been the first to give him limits because of a blindness he seemed not to have.

" Lee was here. Sorry, I couldn't help. I wanted to 'see'…" – he made quotation marks with his fingers when pronounced the word – "…your reaction if I had really had done all of this all by myself."

Jerk. Neji had always enjoyed playing with people's emotions. This is something that would never change. No matter what, I think this is the only habit he would never leave.

" Did you call him here?" – I asked him, ignoring his last sentence. I think I've been ridiculous enough for one day.

" Not really. It was a coincidence."

Silence.

I was staring at him. Once in a while i forgot how to speak when i stared at him. He was walking back to the tree he was close to when I arrived.

" Tenten…" - he called my name, stopping half-way to the tree. It felt so good listening to my name in his voice again. It was an amazing sensation, I have no words to describe.

" What? " – and without any previous warn, Neji turned his body around in my direction, throwing a kunai.

Everything happened so fast that I had no chance even to blink. My eyes were wide open and my mouth dried because of the surprise. The cold I felt earlier in the morning became stronger, going from my toes until my the top of my head.

The kunai passed close to my face and I just realized it had touched me when I felt a thin drop of my hot blood on my extremely cold cheek.

"Neji… "- it was the most I could say, weakly.

" If i really had tried to kill you, Tenten, you'd be dead now. Why didn't you push off?" – his voice was severe.

My heart started beating faster and the temperature of my body was almost as hot as my blood's.

He couldn't have had done that. Testing me. He knows I can't do that anymore. I closed my hands tightly. I wanted to cry hard.

" Why did you do that?"

" Didn't like it?" – his voice filled with scorn.

" Why did you do that?" I insisted, waiting for a good answer.

The calm atmosphere i felt when i arrived went away and I got a bit worried. Since when Neji was teasing me like that? What's with this anger growing inside of me?

"Didn't like it... Weapons Mistress?" – i could almost touch the scorn in his voice, just as the anger here inside of me. " Come on, Amazing Weapons Mistress, do what you have to do. Attack me! Stop being a coward!"

" Shut up!" – moved by pure anger, i moved forward Neji. At that moment I was as blind as him.

I attacked him randomly, trying to be free from all that wrath. Neji was defending himself, he could easily avoid my thrusts. Maybe he wouldn't do it so well if he could see now. And no matter how incredible that was, was not enough to make me stop and admire him.

I attacked him with all I had, by all the ways I could. I was frustrated and tired, and that was the moment when I felt him stop only defending and attack me. I stopped instantly and went some steps back, getting some distance from him.

It was hard for me to breath, I couldn't understand. Neji had had closed two of my chakra points and … without the Byakugan.

"How? "– I asked more to myself than to him.

"Did you forget my Byakugan, Tenten?"

"What?" – my eyes, that were looking for an answer on the ground, ran to his face. He must be making fun of me again.

"No way,Neji! It's impossible! You're blind. BLIND!" – i yelled him these words.

That was the first time I spoke so clearly about Neji's condition. Actually, I don't remember saying them out loud not even once. It scared me a bit.

I put my hands on my mouth, as if it could take back the words I had already said.

I took my look away from him and faced the ground, trying to comfort myself there.

" You're right. But I can listen, Tenten." – listen? LISTEN? What does he mean with "listen"?

My attention went back to him, I was waiting for him to continue.

"Your chakra… I can perfectly listen to it running through all your body."

I was shocked. Was it possible? No, no way.

"Impossible!" – i yelled again.

"Your blood and your chakra run in different ways. Each one's pulsation is different. If I concentrate I can feel the difference…. Your chakra runs much faster and stronger than your blood, no matter if your heart is beating fast or slow. With a part of my chakra in my ears, my audition gets even better. But even without this, I can listen to it." – in his voice this process sounded very simple, even though I knew it wasn't.

" Knowing the ways my chakra takes is not enough to find out where my chakra points are! "– I still could not believe. That was too much.

" You'd be right if i didn't know about it or if the pulsation wasn't stronger in the chakra points. Truth be told: it's not that hard to find _your_ chakra points."

" Is it not?" –I asked, curious. Was I so pathetic that even something I didn't need efforts to hide wasn't hiden anymore?

" No, it's not. I know each one of the chakra points in your body, Tenten. I could make a map if I wanted to. I have everything right here in my memory." – once again, Neji stole my speech. That was too much.

I was still lost in my thoughts when Neji got closer to me. He stopped just some centimeters away.

" Take it. "– he gave me a kunai and waited for me to do what he had told me to.- " Somebody has to mark the targets again."

" I can't, Neji." – i put my already sweat and shaking hands behing my body, hiding them. How could he ask me something like that? He should be the one who wanted me far from weapons the most. My voice was weak and I thought I'd lost it at that moment.

" What do you mean? "– he asked, getting even closer. – "I just closed two of your chakra points, Tenten. Don't come telling me you can't hit a simple target."

" Don't you understand?" – I was angry now – "You should be the first person to understand, the first one to want me far from all of this. I can't, Neji. I'll hurt someone. I'll hurt YOU!" – i wasn't crying, my eyes weren't even humid, but I felt a huge need of crying right there.

" I can't." - I said almost in a whisper, turning around, giving him my back. I wish I could just disappear and forget everything.

" Come on, Tenten." – I felt his breath in my neck and closed my eyes,I was tired. – "You are the best one I know in it." – his hand came to mine and I felt the kunai he was putting there. The cold material made me shiver a bit. – "Now tell me: where's the target?"

" Right in front of me." – I said after opening my eyes, facing my nightmare.

" So, hit it." – he was still holding my hand while whispered these words in my ear.

I was looking straight to the target, but I couldn't move to obey Neji's order.

" I can't. Forgive me. There is no time for me anymore." – i said, failed.

I felt his hand hold the kunai tighter in mine and my arm be slowly lifted with his own.

" Don't worry… " - his hot breath was still in contact with my skin, giving me a delicious sensation, which made me really want to be able to do what Neji wanted me to do: hit the damn target.

" …I'll pause the time for you. " – I closed my eyes and took a breath as long as I could. Moving my arm with his, he threw the kunai.

I don't know if it was because Neji was so close or because he had really done what he said he would, but the time seemed not to be passing normally.

In slow motion, the wind made some leaves move and the kunai he threw was cutting the air softly. I felt Neji crawl his fingers to mine and wrap it, squeezing softly.

The kunai was perfectly on the center of the target.

That was the moment when I realized: i needed, desperately, go back to be the Weapons Mistress I once was.

**To be ****Continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 : Sixth day **

_* Friday _

_" I got lost in the corridors of the Hospital, not knowing where to go. There were many doors, but I had no idea which one of them could be Neji's._

_I opened some doors, apologizing to the ones who were inside and some other times I found empty rooms. I got close to a half-opened door and put my hand up to open it, but the sound of Gai's voice stopped me._

_' The hit on his head was too strong.' – this was Tsunade who said – 'Neji is fine, he'll leave the hospital soon,but…'_

_' What? ' – I heard Gai asking. Just like me, he was confused because of her pause._

_' Neji is blind, Gai.'_

_My eyes went wide open and something started turning around inside my stomach. Neji was blind and that was all my fault. _

I still remember how I felt that day. It's not something you can forget so easily, but today it's not hurting like that. I don't say that because I feel less guilty or because the pain is going away. I say this because these last five days had given me good facts, things I couldn't even think in the passed one year.

After making Neji blind, I guess I blinded myself as a way of punishment. But Neji himself showed me he was not blind… at leat, not like I was.

I looked at the clock beside my bed. It was 3:00 in the morning. I wasn't surprised. That was not the first time my sleep was stopped by those "dark" memories.

I wasn't scared nor pulling myself into guiltiness, as I have always done after a bad dream. This time, I was just tired of my mind's stubbornness touching an already soundless key.

My day was tiring, and I really desired a good sleeping night, with no interruptions… especially _that_ interruption.

I squeezed my sheets, closing my eyes tighter.

My hand seemed to be still feeling the kunai in touch with my skin - The cold material under my fingers, giving me anxiety and fear.

It was horrible to feel this way again.

Along the cold touch of the kunai, my fingers felt the warmness of Neji's hand over mine. Neji made me remember I was still alive. Neji made me realize I had to live.

A bitter smile was on my lips again while I slowly walked closer to the window. The night was clear, the moon was bigger as if it was closer than it had permission to.

The streets of Konoha were calm. The village seemed to be resting, everybody sleeping sound. I guess I hadn't noticed anything around me but my guilt and torturing memories.

I liked nights. I spent too much time hating one thing I used to have admiration for. Maybe something inside of me was coming back.

The practicing I had earlier with Neji made be believe I had always been the same Weapons Mistress, I had always been that short-fused girl. I had just choosen to hide those parts of me because I thought it'd be easier.

Silly thought. My situation just got worse.

_" – I'll pause the time for you..."_

I don't know if he kept his promise, but it seemed like he did. I don't know how, but Neji made me feel as if the time wasn't passing.

Funny.

It's a bit stupid to think about it, but Neji always made me go beyond the anger limits. That smart Hyuuga… he always knew how to get what he wanted. And to make me practice with him, he forced me to face my only two weaknesses: weapons and Neji himself. You're tough, Neji.

Outside, the wind touched the leaves from the trees in a slow and rhythmic way. I could hear the silence between the leaves crashing one in the other.

Every time me and Neji sparred on the training field was like this. The wind, the calm…

I liked that place. I still do.

The place where i became the Weapons Mistress, the place where I practiced tirelessly until I got as good as I wanted to and the place that would watch my decision. The place that would watch my rebirthing.

**OoOoOoO**

The moon had choosen the center of the training ground to receive the most of her light. The targets in front of me were not looking so scary like before. With a kunai in hand I prepared myself to go closer to perfection like once I did.

I felt my hands sweating like never before, but I wasn't shivering. My heart was beating fast and I knew it was not because of fear. It was adrenaline.

I took a deep breath, throwing the first kunai.

I missed the target.

The second kunai… I missed the target.

The third kunai… missed the target again.

The frustration was starting to come, but I wouldn't give up, not anymore. I would hit the center of that target, I would jump and invocate my weapons with my scrolls, I would be back. I'd do It for Neji. I'd do it for myself.

I was visibly tired, it was hard to breath, my mouth was completely dry and i was all dirty. My body seemed a lot heavier and my knees were hurting, begging for me to fall but still holding on.

I was on the limit. No, I was actually beyond my limit.

Seeing me now, I could perfectly understand what Lee meant when he talked about determination and willpower. My body was holding on in this two things: determination and willpower.

It may seem fantasy of dreamers, but your wishes can do miracles. Mine was doing.

I leaped one more time, the sun coming up with me. I got concentration and told myself I didn't want less than perfection. I threw exactly 8 kunais to the 8 targets around me. I fell back on the ground, protecting my eyes from the sunlight. The sun was already up.

My knees couldn't hold me anymore, and I almost fell. My eyes were as heavy as my body. I took a look around and my lips turned into a satisfied smile.

The eight targets were now holding my 8 kunais in their centers. Where they belong to. I had finally got to perfection.

Attending to my entire body's wish, I let myself fall hard on the ground. The sky was so beautiful, a perfect blue around a few clouds announcing the morning. My breathing became slow and I felt my muscles relaxing.

" Tenten? Is it you? You chackra is..." – a comfortable voice sang by my side and a body blocked the sun, making a shadow over me. I knew that face.

" Neji… " - I felt his hand in my face, passing through my hair, lasting a moment on my forehead. – " Neji, i… "

" Shhh… " - he didn't let me continue. His fingers got to my lips, making me mute. – " Time to rest, Weapons Mistress."

Obedient, I closed my eyes. I have done _that_ and Neji knew it.

**To be Continued...**

**Autor's note:** I don't know if this chapter is cool and clear. The time, scenes... were kinda of written randomly. I like writing with this "spaces", you know…

We're close to the end T.T

- Ikaira


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Seventh day**

* _Saturday_

I wasn't shivering, i wasn't scared. I wasn't sweating nor breathing hard and, the most important, I was far from having the guilt's agony in my heart.

I woke up because i wanted to and not because of some nightmare or torturing memory. I had had enough sleep, a clean and good sleep.

That wasn't my room, that wasn't my bed, the tranquilizing smell on the pillow wasn't mine.

_" Time to rest, Weapons Mistress."_

Weapons Mistress. These words about me sounded incredibly good to my ears. It was amazing to listen to this from his mouth, in his voice. So it sounded fair, right. And I had had enough rest, for sure.

I tried to get up fast and that wasn't a good idea. I got dizzy and my body was hurting. I could say that even my hair was hurting. I went back to bed, to organize my body, sketching to get used to my next moves. I contract the legs and felt a funny pain. I was really out of shape.

The second try was better and I could get up. But I got a bit confused when realized I was clean and my hair was down. I wasn't like this when I finished last training.

Neji? No, that would be too much. I smiled with my thoughts.

And my mind would travel a thousand miles making up many theories about my state if I didn't have stopped to look around to the place I was in. In that room, it wasn't only his smell. Everything, Neji was in every thing and, Dear God, that was so good.

The day was beautiful outside. The sun was shining more than usually, coming inside just a bit because of the thin fabric in front of the window. How much time had I slept?

I went to the door, walking cautiously. The house seemed to be empty and the only sound i could hear was my bared feet touching the wood floor.

The door I knew very well was totally open- differently from some other time I had seen it – making the sun light come stronger that in the room. I closed my eyes a bit because of that and let my feet drive me to the only place the only person I wanted to see should be.

As usual, Neji was annoyingly perfect, sitting on that chair with a closed book in hands. It was expected that he was facing any spot ahead.

I walked in his direction, in silence, taking a sit in the opposite side on the chair, following the routine of one year. I took a long breath, letting it go making a loud sound. I knew I didn't need to be that stupid to call his attention. I bet he knew I was there in the moment i got close to the door.

" You slept a lot." – he said, still facing a random spot ahead.

" How long? " – I asked him.

" Since yesterday morning."

" Yesterday?" – i repeated, embarrassed for had slept so much like that.

" Yesterday." – gosh, that was too much.

" My clothes?" – if he could see, would make fun of me because of the blush in my face.

Before giving me an answer, he drew a mischievous smile on his lips. The blush in my cheeks were stronger, and I felt my face burning until the bones. I had never thought there would be a day I'd be thankful for Neji's blindness.

"Don't worry, Nakomi took care of everything. Including you." – Nakomi was a chubby old lady who took care of almost everything for Neji.

" Did you…"

" I didn't see anything. I blocked my eyes, don't worry. " – okay, now I was purple by embarrassment and thinking about killing Neji. He could stop the jokes and wash that naughty smile away from his lips.

" It was not what I meant, Neji." – I said, pretending to be offended. But actually i meant exactly what I meant. – "I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you."

It was silent now, until his smile slowly disappear, giving space to his usual expression.

" I didn't do anything you wouldn't do for me."

" Don't ignore what you've done for me. It's amazing. From the very start you've done a lot, since the mission… " - I let my voice die in the end.

No matter how good things were going, I couldn't remember that day without cursing myself.

" And from the very start I had already told you: for you, I'd do everything again and again". – even if Neji couldn't see me, I felt his eyes on me.

_" And one more time i was watching his sleep, from the door of his room. Since they told me about his situation I had been afraid to face him awake. I took my hand close to his face, wanting to touch him, but I didn't. I took my hand back to my chest and turned around to leave._

_'Will you runaway again?' – his voice stopped me and without my permission, tears ran through my face._

_'Forgive me!' – I didn't look at him, I was trying to hold the sobs that came with the tears._

_'There's no need of this, Tenten. For you, I'd do it again and again…'"_

The images ran fast and clear through my mind. I spent so much time judging myself, that I had forgotten Neji had never done it. He had never said it was my fault and I could live my life in peace. 

"I had never judged you as guilty and I'll never do it. What happened was my responsibility and all mine. I wanted to do what I did."

Something inside of me was working differently. I wanted to jump over him, in his arms and hug him tight, show him how thankful I was.

"Here." – I didn't think to do what I did. I got closer to Neji, taking one of his hands and putting it on my chest. – "Can you feel it?" – I let him feel the rhythm of my heart, which was beating fast, frenetic. – "It's beating because of you. No matter what, while it exists I'll be forever thankful, Neji. Even if you don't want this gratitude. "

The smile I saw on his lips was a new one. It wasn't ironic or naughty, it wasn't coming with scorn. It was just a smile. A simple and true smile.

This story is not about a man and a woman, it's not a romance or a moral lesson. It's simply a story that had to be lived in one year, to be told in one week… in seven days.

**Owari**

Before updating this chapter, i confess i thought of changing the final. To make different from the one I did on AS. But, the guys there liked this and… I can't see any other way to finish this fic if this is exactly how I wish it to end.

I hope I hadn't disappointed you \o/


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